Midterm Review - Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology

Midterm Review - Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology

Hippocampus

  • Located in medial temporal lobe

  • Crucial for memory encoding and retrieval.

Anterograde vs. Retrograde Amnesia

  • Anterograde: inability to form new memories after onset.

  • Retrograde: inability to recollect memories prior to onset.

  • Case study of H.M. exemplifies anterograde amnesia.

  • H.M. could access long-term memories prior to amnesia but struggled to form new ones.

Clive Wearing

  • Suffered hippocampal damage; has no past or new memories.

  • Retains skills (e.g., playing piano) but fails to transfer information from short- to long-term memory.

Interference in Memory

  • Proactive Interference: prior learning interferes with new learning.

  • Retroactive Interference: new learning interferes with retention of old information.

  • Decay in short-term memory linked to proactive interference.

Reminiscence Bump

  • Autobiographical memories from age 15-30 are more frequently recalled.

  • Possible reasons include cognitive ability peaks, identity formation, and social reinforcement.

Life Scripts

  • Cultural expectations about life events influence memory.

  • Life scripts shape recollections; positive events from the early twenties are often emphasized.

Sperling Experiment

  • Demonstrates evidence of sensory register with different recall tasks (full vs. partial).

Memory Types

  • Sensory Register: large capacity but rapid decay (250-2000 ms).

  • Explicit Memory: includes semantic (facts) and episodic (events) memories.

  • Implicit Memory: supports tasks not consciously accessible; assessed through various completion tasks.

Levels of Processing

  • Depth of processing affects explicit memory but not implicit.

  • Recognition is more robust than recall in amnesics.

Reliability of Memory

  • Memory can be biased by titles and contexts (Prichert & Anderson study).

  • Eyewitness testimony can be distorted by misinformation (Loftus's experiments).

  • Serial reproduction task highlights memory errors over time, akin to the 'telephone game'.

  • False memories can be implanted through suggestion and social reinforcement.

Midterm Review - Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology ## Hippocampus - Located in medial temporal lobe - Crucial for memory encoding and retrieval. ## Anterograde vs. Retrograde Amnesia - Anterograde: inability to form new memories after onset. - Retrograde: inability to recollect memories prior to onset. - Case study of H.M. exemplifies anterograde amnesia. - H.M. could access long-term memories prior to amnesia but struggled to form new ones. ## Clive Wearing - Suffered hippocampal damage; has no past or new memories. - Retains skills (e.g., playing piano) but fails to transfer information from short- to long-term memory. ## Interference in Memory - Proactive Interference: prior learning interferes with new learning. - Retroactive Interference: new learning interferes with retention of old information. - Decay in short-term memory linked to proactive interference. ## Reminiscence Bump - Autobiographical memories from age 15-30 are more frequently recalled. - Possible reasons include cognitive ability peaks, identity formation, and social reinforcement. ## Life Scripts - Cultural expectations about life events influence memory. - Life scripts shape recollections; positive events from the early twenties are often emphasized. ## Sperling Experiment - Demonstrates evidence of sensory register with different recall tasks (full vs. partial). - Conducted by George Sperling. ## Memory Types - Sensory Register: large capacity but rapid decay (250-2000 ms). - Explicit Memory: includes semantic (facts) and episodic (events) memories. - Implicit Memory: supports tasks not consciously accessible; assessed through various completion tasks. ## Levels of Processing - Depth of processing affects explicit memory but not implicit. - Recognition is more robust than recall in amnesics. ## Reliability of Memory - Memory can be biased by titles and contexts (Pichert & Anderson study, conducted by John W. Pichert and Richard C. Anderson). - Eyewitness testimony can be distorted by misinformation (Loftus's experiments, conducted by Elizabeth Loftus). - Serial reproduction task highlights memory errors over time, akin to the 'telephone game'. - False memories can be implanted through suggestion and social reinforcement.